New Haven police brief committee on recruitment gains, technology upgrades and homicide response

City police leaders told the Public Safety Committee on Sept. 16, 2025, that recruitment and retention efforts are improving, new technology and interagency work helped reduce shootings overall this year, and detectives are actively investigating five recent homicides.

Police presenters said the department recorded five homicides between Aug. 17 and Sept. 1, and investigators have cleared three of those cases so far. "From 08/17 to 9 1, we have 5 homicides," Captain Fumiati said; later in the presentation he added, "we did solve 3 of the 5 murders."

Leaders described a multipronged response: intelligence meetings with state and federal partners, GPS monitoring for some subjects, targeted patrols to prevent retaliation and faster investigations supported by camera footage and community tips. The department said extra patrols and rapid case work helped prevent immediate retaliatory shootings following the homicides.

Officials also reported measurable drops in several categories year‑to‑date: reported shootings declined from 71 at this time last year to 26 this year, and the department cited a net drop of 40 people shot citywide (79 last year, 39 this year). Police attributed those declines to a mix of targeted enforcement, community partnerships and technology.

On staffing and recruitment, presenters said the city is building toward a large academy class in January 2026. "That number is at least 30," a presenter said of planned recruits; the department described a pipeline that could put 40 to 50 cadets into training if some are sent to other academies. The department also said turnover to other departments has fallen compared with last year.

The update outlined technology and equipment changes: more than 250 Recon AR cameras citywide, StarChase vehicle tagging for fleeing suspects, stop‑stick tire deflation devices, and upgrades to the fleet including the department's first electric patrol vehicle. The department plans to go live on Nov. 10 with a new computer‑aided dispatch and records management system called ProPhoenix and said it is phasing in Draft1, an AI tool for drafting incident reports, with an initial cohort of officers.

Officials stressed an incremental rollout of Draft1 tied to the ProPhoenix implementation; so far the department said about 25 officers have used the AI tool on noncriminal calls such as lost property and parking complaints and that preliminary feedback is positive.

Police leaders described broader reform and accountability work: Internal Affairs closed more than 60 cases in a recent period; the department said it achieved tier 1 accreditation and is working toward tiers 2 and 3 as required by the state police accountability law. Officers have conducted 12 Narcan deployments that reversed opioid overdoses, the department said.

Law enforcement presenters also discussed firearms trends: the department reported more incidents involving high‑capacity magazines and so‑called “block switches” that convert semiautomatic weapons toward fully automatic fire. Presenters noted a recent state bill that imposes higher bond consequences for enhanced firearm modifications and said federal partners were assisting on enforcement.

This was an informational presentation; no committee vote or formal action was taken. Committee members asked how the public and community boards could help with outreach and were invited to coordinate community policing events through district managers.